Variation in health and well-being parameters: cross-country and temporal aspects

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus epidemic has stimulated large-scale structural and socio-economic changes throughout the world and led to increased attention to the problem of health in general. But has the epidemic affected the change in the attitude of people of different ages to their health, the perception of various parameters of subjective well-being? The article presents a comparative analysis of a number of assessments (about the level of happiness, satisfaction with income, healthcare, safety, communication, life, attitude towards people, etc.) of respondents from Europe and Central Asia for the period 2006–2021.

AIM: The goal is to assess changes that have occurred over a 15-year time interval in relation to health and social determinants of well-being, to determine possible directions for changing the current situation.

METHODS: To achieve this goal, the results of the tenth wave of the international comparative European Social Survey, conducted in 2021 (32 countries), were used in comparison with data from the third wave, conducted in 2006 (25 countries). The impact of the pandemic on the health of children and adolescents aged 11–15 years was based on materials from the international Health Behavior in School-Aged Children 2021–2022 in 44 countries in Europe and Central Asia.

RESULTS: Despite the difficulties, dictated by the coronavirus, over the period 2006–2021 in most European countries stability in the perception of the world of work and the healthcare institution has been maintained, the psychological situation related to the safety of living has improved, and life satisfaction has increased. According to most of the parameters considered, Russians are outsiders among European countries; however, Russians’ responses to 7 indicators of health and well-being (out of 12) show positive changes. The results of studies of the health of children and adolescents during the pandemic and post-pandemic periods indicate significant negative consequences, mainly related to mental health.

CONCLUSION: It is necessary to increase the attention of Russian government bodies to the health and well-being of Russians, first of all, to children and adolescents.